Released on vinyl in early 2012 as the b-side to a DJ Hidden/Broken Note collaboration, “Obey” sees Ad Noiseam producers Niveau Zero and Balkansky come together for one brief, dirty moment. While the North American mainstream struggles with the cycle of dubstep hype and backlash, this track falls not into its spiral. Rather, “Obey” huffs and puffs and blows down the house with its uncompromising bass and meticulous production. This is not your basic club single. It doesn’t ask you to like it. It commands you to obey, and can smell your fear.

Just when you thought the phenomenon of the Weeknd would burn bright and unchallenged on the East Coast, Vancouver duo Evelyn Mason and Jeremiah Klein rise up, armed with their deadly self-titled debut EP that features two originals and remixes by the likes of Andy Dixon and Julien Mier. Claws sharpened and faux-fur flying, Evy Jane is out to battle the Weeknd for the Canadian experimental R&B crown. Their first attack is the sultry yet disturbing ballad “Sayso” set to a frozen yet fuzzy video that perfectly captures the woozy instrumental and seemingly conflicted lyrics. When their EP drops on February 20th, care of the flourishing King Deluxe Records, The Weeknd had better watch his ace. There’s a new kid in town.

Back in 2004, the Washington, DC-based indie band Cartel generated a lot of buzz with the moody, Echo & the Bunnymen-esque “Fleets”. Then, they discovered a rock band from Georgia had dibs on the Cartel name. So, Cartel became the Cedars. They released an excellent EP, Another Season, in 2007. Rightly figuring that if such a strong, Coldplay-if-Coldplay-was-three-times-better effort wouldn’t get them a proper record deal, nothing would, they split.

Now, they are back, under the name Ms. Director, with a seven-track EP, Santo Domingo. The overall sound hasn’t changed much, and that’s a good thing. The guitars and keyboards are a bit more hazy, but the muscular rhythm section and Brian Leatherman’s beguiling voice hold it all down. Let’s hope the third name is the charm. Have a listen to Santo Domingo via Bandcamp, and download it there or from iTunes.

With their fourth album Queen of the Wave set to hit stores on January 31st, care of Asthmatic Kitty/Catskills, Pepe Deluxé invites you to experience one of the most brilliant pieces of genre-bending music ever created. “A Night and a Day” will be the album’s first official single, not counting the mailing list treat “The Storm” from late 2011, and they could not have picked a better track to lead with. It’s got a killer drum break and soulful vocals, right up there with the best work of mid-‘90s underground hip-hop, a bassline warp out of UK garage, guitar work that’s alternately funky and hardcore, Beach Boys vocal harmonies, and so much more. Plus, the sideshow spectacle of a video features the gorgeous Geisha Natalie Montes de Oca Robles, Miss Dominican Republic 2008, playing a witch named Anzimee as she presents sights and sounds to confound the senses, assisted by the Tibetan prophet Vol Gorro. Indubitably, “A Night and a Day” will be released along with the Bollywood surf-metal ditty “Hesperus Garden” on the B-Side, and several remixes of the title track, on January 17th. All proceeds from the album will go to a charity attempting to clean the Baltic Sea. Good vibes all around.

The signature 4AD band Dead Can Dance are gearing up for a reunion album and world tour in 2012. As a teaser, they are offering a four-track live EP, Live Happenings - Part 1, on their official website. You just need to turn over your email address.